Australia on Thursday followed Europe and the United States by levying sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of "beatings, sexual assault and torture" of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, AFP reports.   

Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced financial sanctions and travel bans on seven individuals and the Hilltop Youth religious settler group.

Settlement expansion has increased sharply since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022 at the helm of a hardline pro-settler coalition.

The West Bank -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- has seen a significant spike in violence since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

At least 589 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers since the outbreak of the war on October 7, according to Palestinian authorities.

"Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace," Wong added.

Earlier on Friday, the International Court of Justice found Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories illegal.

bd-pratidin/GR